October 6, 2014
Before Leonardo DiCaprio became an actor, he dreamt as a child of becoming a marine biologist. An avid SCUBA diver, DiCaprio’s passion for the ocean and the life in it has stayed strong during his spectacular rise to cinema glory. (One of his favorite dives was to the shark sanctuary in Cocos Island in the Eastern Pacific Seascape Hope Spot.) These days, DiCaprio is using his celebrity power and personal resources to not only raise awareness about ocean issues, but also to underwrite major marine conservation initiatives. In June 2014 at the US State Department’s Our Oceans conference, DiCaprio spoke genuinely about the need for intelligent and collaborative action to reverse ocean decline. Recognizing that talking alone isn’t enough, he pledged to donate $7,000,000 over 2 years to bolster action to save our seas. This tremendous offering for a better planet made a huge splash in the ocean community that is still rippling today.
Check out his 2014 Our Oceans speech here:
For 15 years, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has been raising public awareness about critical environmental issues. This spring, the foundation held a donated art auction at Christies in New York. The result? $38,827,000 raised to benefit innovative conservation projects that protect endangered species like the tiger, who is at 3% of her historical population levels. As many marine animals have a similar sad story — think cod or the atlantic bluefin tuna — it is hugely important to have the support and engagement of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation on ocean issues.
As he campaigns for the environment, DiCaprio is talented at painting the big picture, the mosaic of interconnectedness that is our wonderful world. Just this past month in New York City, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly during Climate Week and pleaded for immediate governmental action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. DiCaprio gets what many lawmakers don’t: only with full-scale, aggressive action on the governmental level can we get a handle on our climate. In the speech, he remarked, “To be clear, this is not about just telling people to change their light bulbs or to buy a hybrid car. This disaster has grown beyond the choices that individuals make. This is now about our industries, and governments around the world taking decisive, large-scale action.”
See the whole speech here:
The world needs brave souls like DiCaprio who aren’t afraid to speak their mind, to evangelize the blunt truth of where we are heading if we don’t change our behavior on a global scale. While his persona allows him to reach millions of people, any one of us can take a cue and help spread the message: the current course is untenable; we must collaborate to find smart ways to live better and more sustainably on this planet. The ocean is a big blue piece of the puzzle and it supports all of us with every breath we breathe.
Thank you Leo for your outstanding support of the ocean conservation movement. Your courage gives all of us hope — that fantastic fuel for change — to keep the fight alive and work for a better future. We salute you!